Misleading Impressions
by Rae1
Summary: AU. One-shot (possible prequel). Daiken/Kensuke with Taito hints. Mild angst, mild humor, fluffy sappy stuff. First impressions can be misleading.


Ken looked up from the statue and sighed. It had been such a long day already, and he still had three hours before he would be allowed to go home. His class had taken a trip to the museum as part of a 'cultural expansion' of their young minds. The artwork and artifacts that they had would have interested him on any other day, but this one had started out bad. 

He had woken up to find that the power had gone out the night before, so his middle of the night stroll to the bathroom had actually occurred two hours later than the clock had read at that time, and his internal system hadn't woken him up until five minutes before he had to leave to catch the bus. His clothes had thankfully been left out the night before, and his mother had handed him a piece of toast as he ran out the door, shoes in hand.

The bus had been more crowded than normal, and he'd been knocked onto a seat, forcing him to sit in gum. Now he had a sticky spot on his backside, and he didn't even want to think about explaining it to his mother. She tended to value his personal vanity more than he did.

At the museum, the owner herself had greeted them, and given them the run of the building. There were guards and guides on every floor, so they couldn't get into too much trouble. That was their thinking, at least. As he'd been leaving the lobby shortly after the catered lunch, there had been a loud thudding sound, followed by the sound of something big shattering. It had taken three seconds for the room to be cleared of all adults and supervisors.

With another sigh, Ken started up the stairs to the second floor. If something important had been damaged downstairs, it would take them at least an hour to collect everyone, and figure out what had happened, and what to do about it. He could kill that amount of time by wandering around aimlessly until one of the teachers found him.

He passed a series of Romance-era paintings, and was in the archway that led into the Greco-Roman sculptures when a body hurtled into his, sending him sprawling backwards against the wall. The wind was forced out of his lungs in a grunt, and he had to strain his head forward at the last second to avoid knocking it against the wall.

"Sorry." The breathless voice grated warmly in his ear, as the girl who had run into him pushed away slowly. Dark brown eyes peered at him in curiosity, and he glanced back, straightening his clothes carefully without taking his eyes away from the redhead in front of him. 

She was near his height, maybe an inch shorter. Her skirt was definitely not school regulation, ending at mid-thigh. Her shirt was an orange blouse that seemed to add to the brown highlights in her long hair. The smile she offered him was uncertain, and more than a little hesitant, as if she wanted to get away almost as bad as she wanted to stay rooted to the spot.

Ken resisted the urge to shake his head to clear it, and offered her a polite, forced smile. She frowned slightly, and he licked his lips before speaking. "Are you okay?"

She blinked, and rubbed the back of her head with her right hand. He glanced momentarily at the silver, chain-linked bracelet that glinted on her arm, and then returned his gaze to her. After another moment of seeming confusion, she smiled again. "Just peachy. Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

He nodded, and returned her smile with a slight nod. "Accident's happen. You may try to be more careful."

His eyes flickered to her mouth, where she was absent-mindedly chewing her bottom lip. Her eyes had drifted off to his left, as if in thought. He resisted the desire to roll his own violet eyes. She was a space-case if ever there was one. "Well, thanks for breaking impact."

Her voice was husky, and a little deeper than most girls'. He paused as he noticed the alertness in the eyes that met his. There was a secret in her gaze, and he felt his curiosity piqued.  "You sound a little dry. Would you like to go down to the cafeteria and have a soda?"

There was surprise in her eyes, and he felt the mirroring emotion in himself. She wasn't his type, and he really shouldn't be flirting with someone that he had no interest in. Again, she hesitated. He had given up on her accepting when she grinned.

"I'd love to." Her whole face lit up with the emotion, open and honest as she looked up at him. She skipped backward a little, causing the skirt to ride up as she twirled away. "Let's go." Her hair swung against the middle of her back, and he watched as it glistened in the light.

He followed after her, watching as she seemed to hop from place to place. This was obviously an active young woman. Anyone that dated her would have problems keeping up. Ken didn't doubt that he could do it, but he insisted adamantly in his mind that she wasn't his type. He wasn't actually interested in someone else, but he had no business with her.

That didn't stop him from enjoying the view of her backside as she headed to the cafeteria. She had a firm butt, and muscular legs. An athlete who, by the look of her tan, enjoyed the sun. She turned back around, and he managed to avert his gaze in time to keep her from realizing that he'd been staring at her. "What type of soda do you drink?" She inquired softly, stopping long enough for him to catch up with her so she could walk beside him. 

"I drink water, actually. I'm not a big pop drinker."

"Oh." It was a surprised sound, but not a disappointed one. "So do I. I play soccer, and our coach is really pushy when it comes to what we put in our bodies." It was spoken in a rush, not from nervousness, but from energy. She bounced ahead again, moving backwards so she could smile at him some more.

Boundless energy, coiled into one lithe body. He sighed. It really was too bad that she wasn't his type, because she was just his type. If she'd been male, she'd have been perfect. She even played soccer, his sport of choice. She missed the look of sadness on his face as she twirled through the doorway leading into the cafeteria. "So, I'll get two waters?"

"Sure. Thank you. Here." She reached into the back pocket of her skirt, squeezing her hand into the tight material to hand him a bill. He shook his head.

"It's on me." She inhaled a laugh and giggled. He started toward the counter to get their drinks, but a gentle hand on his arm stopped him. She had her head tilted to the side, her eyes guarded. 

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem." She removed her arm, and moved to find a seat, twisting between round tables to the back corner. 

"Interesting friend you've made." Ken turned his head, looking with resignation into the black eyes of one of his best friends. 

"Hello, Koushiro." He looked at the redhead and smiled slightly. "She's definitely unique."

"Actually, I was thinking that she looks a lot like someone I know." He gazed pointedly at the redhead, and then smiled. "Does she know yet that it's hopeless?"

"I haven't even gotten as far as introducing myself. Telling her I'm gay before telling her my name would seem kind of rude. Maybe she's just being nice by allowing me to buy her water."

"Right. And the soft look she gave you meant nothing."

"At least I had the nerve to ask her to join me for something to drink. Every time I see a guy I'm interested in, I walk away, blushing, unable to say a word."

"That is your own doing, you know. There are lots of good-looking guys that wouldn't mind a chance to be with you."

"That doesn't mean that I'm interested in any of the ones that would jump at the chance to go out with me, either." He glanced back toward the corner, and smiled as the redhead tried to sit backwards on the chair without her skirt riding around her hips. "She isn't exactly resisting my charms."

"So, you're just going to ignore the fact that you've lusted after guys for years? Even if she does seem rather male."

"She doesn't look-" He paused, and looked back at the table. "She does, doesn't she? She's lacking the essential thing that separates the sexes, as well as having a few too many things."

"It's a penis, and she has breasts."

Ken glanced at him wordlessly, not rising to the bait by responding to such a crude statement.

The woman behind the counter smiled at them as she handed Ken two bottles of water. She wished them a good day, and they started toward the back corner. "You're right. I'll make this short and sweet."

"Good. Don't forget, next week, all of my friends are getting together and I told them that you would be in attendance." The redhead waved at the girl sitting at the table, and walked away. Ken joined the girl at the table.

"Your friend?" He nodded, handing her the bottle and sitting across the table from her. She watched him for a moment, as if she knew that he was already determined to leave. "He's kind of cute."

Ken shrugged instead of answering. He wasn't going to tell her that he agreed. Short and sweet is what he'd told Koushiro, and short and sweet it would be. "I have to be going soon. My class will be leaving in a little bit. Someone broke a statue downstairs, and they're probably loading up the bus as we speak."

"The statue wasn't from your school." She was grinning again, a devilish gleam in her eyes. She had swept her hair around so that it covered her shoulder, and hung across her chest. It took him a moment to realize just what she'd said.

"You broke it?"

"It was an accident. They happen, remember?" She smiled guiltily, unable to erase the twinkle in her eye. "That's why I was running."

He laughed, looking at her in amazement. "I can't believe it. It's probably a fifty-thousand dollar statue."

"Thank you. As if my guilt wasn't enough already." She looked past him suddenly, and then ducked down in her seat. "They've found me."

"Did they see you do it?" He looked over his shoulder as the museum owner and curator walked in, scanned the room, and left. She shrugged, looking at him fearfully.

"Kind of. Not exactly like this."

"If you don't think they can positively identify you, I'll vouch for you." Her eyes widened in shock, then crinkled at the corners.

"That is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me. Thank you." She glanced over his shoulder casually, trying to act normal. "They're gone, anyway."

"I have to be going, too." He stood, twisting the cap on his unopened water mechanically.

"I'll walk you out." She laughed softly. "That sounds so lame."

"I appreciate the thought." He held his arm out to her, and she slipped her hand into the inside of his elbow. He looked down on it, noticing the short nails, and the lean strength in her fingers and wrists. They walked out of the cafeteria, and through the front lobby. Ken waved at his teachers and a couple of his friends that were waiting to go outside.

"Thank you for the water." Her eyes were trying to send him signals, but they were embedded in the secret and uncertainty that blanketed them. Suddenly, she leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth, not actually touching his lips. "I'll see you around." 

She walked quickly out of the building, pushing through the doors with the same energy and drive to move that he'd noticed. Watching as the door shut, he wished silently again that she were male. If she'd been a he, it could have worked.

___________________

Takeru approached his friend with an easy stride, his long legs covering the distance between them quickly. She looked up, her dark eyes twinkling as she twisted a lock of hair around her face. Her grin was cocky. "I have met the guy of my dreams."

"Like that?" He gestured to her outfit, and she looked down and frowned. With a quick glance around the secluded section of the park they had agreed to meet in, she reached a hand to her hair, and pulled the long red tresses off, tossing the wig on the bench.

Daisuke sighed, running his hair through his short, spiky red locks. Then he unbuttoned the skirt and shimmied it down his legs. His swimming trunks did nothing to cover him properly, and he looked at the blonde pointedly. He was handed a pair of khaki shorts, and he put them on quickly, taking off the blouse next to replace it with a green T-shirt.

"What was he like?" Blue eyes regarded him patiently.

"Perfect. Of course, it also happened to be that friend of Izzy's, Ken, and he doesn't go far below the level of perfect."

"You met the blue-haired genius that Koushiro thinks would be receptive to you?"

"The one that he thinks would balance me, yes." He sat down heavily, spreading his arms along the back, and slumping down. "He's beautiful. I'm glad that I had a chance to meet him before next week."

"And? What happened?"

"Well, after I broke the statue, and played dress up, I crashed him into a wall. He bought me a water, and then couldn't seem to get far enough away from me." He sighed, and then grinned. "Guess what? I told him that I broke the statue, and he said he'd cover for me, be my alibi."

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back and grinning broadly. The blonde regarded him thoughtfully. "This makes you happy."

"It makes me feel ecstatic, and alive." He laughed again. "And I caught him checking my ass out."

"Did he appear happy with what he saw?" Takeru sat down on the bench and regarded his friend steadily.

"I think so, but he kept pushing it down. And then Koushiro showed up, and I thought he'd ruin the whole thing. That's when Ken suddenly seemed more willing to leave."

"Didn't Koushiro say that they had some convention tomorrow? A science fair, or something?"

"Excellent idea, Takeru. Just to see him again would be enough." He sighed dreamily, picturing the teen in question: a tall young man, with pale skin, dark blue hair, and a slender frame that hid the muscles and energy of "the Rocket".

"It should be interesting. Do you think that you can stop yourself from drooling over him long enough to impress him?"

"Of course."

"We'll see." The blonde smiled, wondering to himself how well the redhead would behave with the object of his lust and affections in close proximity. "My only question being, if he liked the girly you that he saw to day, what makes you think that he'll like the real you?"

"You just had to spoil my good mood didn't you?" But the redhead didn't stop grinning. "If Koushiro thinks that he'd be attracted to me like this, and Kenny boy already has a thing for me without knowing I'm a guy, then chances are, he'll like me like he likes the her-me."

"Was that supposed to make sense?"

_________________

Daisuke waited until four o'clock the following day, then snapped his goggles into place on top of his head, and started towards Tamachi on foot. He jogged most of the way, his backpack strapped securely to his shoulders. He had called Izzy, and the computer genius had said that, yes, the Tamachi school that Ken and he attended was holding a fair. It would be held in the gymnasium, but he, Izzy, would not be there. He and Ken had done their project together, and Ken was going to display it alone.

With a giddy feeling, Daisuke had hung up, and plotted and planned until he went to bed. He'd arrive first, as himself, and if that didn't get enough of a reaction, he'd get out the heavy artillery: a skirt and blouse. Today, he'd packed a brown skirt with red blouse. It wouldn't do for the genius to think that he…she-he wore the same outfit more than one day in a row. Just because he-he did, didn't mean the she-he should.  
  


He paused at the bus stop, looking up to make sure that he was at the right corner to turn. Izzy's directions had been for taking the bus, not walking on foot. Or jogging on foot, as Daisuke was doing. A glance at his watch showed him that he had another hour before it started, and he grinned. He'd get a chance to talk to Ken again, whether the genius wanted to talk to him, or not.

_________________

The school gym was packed with students, teachers, and parents alike. Ken had been there since seven in the morning, going to classes, and then helping to set up. All of the students participating had been required to help in the set up, and clean up of the fair, and the only person he knew of that had escaped was Koushiro, who went part-time to another school, and could be exempt from such things.

Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Ken looked around, smiling politely at all the adults and peers that congratulated him and Izzy on their project. He wished that the redhead had been able to make it, simply to spare him the humiliation of being fawned over. He didn't have many friends amongst his classmates, and most of the older generation seemed to want to pet and paw him. He doubted that anyone in that room would care if he just went stupid. 

He knew that it wasn't possible, but some days, he wished that he could put all of his intelligence on a shelf, and just let someone else work out all the problems. It would never happen, he knew. Why work things out for yourself when there's a genius not two feet from you. It had gotten so bad, that he did much of his work in the library. In a school for the gifted, he'd been offered money multiple times to do somebody's homework, or to sell his notes to a class.

One of the teachers moved away as there was a commotion on the other side of the gym. There was yelling, and then he saw a puff of smoke rise in the air. Some one's machine had taken a dive. That was one less competitor for the trophy and scholarship. The money would go to Izzy, and help pay for his schooling. As smart as the redhead was, he would still have to find a way to pay for half of his tuition.  

Most of the crowd moved away, and he sighed in relief. The mob of people had started to make him sweat, and he doubted that it would have taken much longer for him to begin to hyperventilate. "What's this?" He stiffened as a familiar husky voice asked him a question from behind him. He turned, keeping his face purposely blank.

"It's…" He trailed off, his mind going blank as he stared into dark brown eyes. She was wearing a red shirt this time, but the effect was the same. It accentuated her tan, and the short skirt highlighted her strong legs.

"Tongue-tied? Speechless? I have a tendency to do that to people." She was flirting with him, shamelessly. Before, she'd seemed almost shy, uncertain. Now she was a siren, one that had found her a sailor she wanted to lure to his death. In her left hand, she was holding a beaten up backpack by the top handle, letting the shoulder straps drag on the ground. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, clenching his fist. He would stay in control. "I'm fine, thank you. Are you here to check on a specific project?"

"Yours." Her voice was certain, but her eyes had gone dark with sudden worry. _She thinks she's gone to far. Good. Maybe she'll leave me alone, and let me have the peace of my convictions_.

Ken smiled. "That's very nice, thank you, but it's not mine alone. My friend did most of the work, but couldn't make it." He didn't add that one of them had to be in attendance to receive any prize, or he wouldn't have been there at all.

"Really?" She seemed uninterested in Koushiro, and he smiled.

"Yeah. He's a computer genius. Hand him any piece of technological equipment, and he can do anything with it." She smiled disinterestedly, and mumbled something under her breath. He caught the words 'toaster' and 'space', but not the meaning behind her words. He could make a fair assumption that she wasn't being nice. "You'd like him. He's the one that you thought was cute yesterday. The redhead?

"I remember. The one with the black eyes." She spoke distractedly, and raised a hand to her hair.  Her eyes had drifted away, but she returned her attention to him. "I like your eyes, better. That deep violet." He swallowed. This wasn't going the way he had planned. She just changed the subject.

"Thank you." He didn't return the compliment, or offer anything more. He greeted a teacher, and left her staring at the back of his head. She waited patiently nearby, and her growing agitation became tangible. She wasn't happy standing by quietly, and he wondered briefly how long it would take before she was bored enough to walk away.

________________

It only took thirteen minutes. Daisuke was bored. Really, really bored. He'd been watching the sway of that dark blue hair, and staring at the way that the genius held himself. His pale skin entranced him, and he wondered for most of the time what it would feel like to be touched and held by the genius. That eventually gave way to irritation when he grew aroused, and the damn genius wouldn't even look at him.

So, he walked away, and changed back into his regular clothes, and he walked back in. By that time, the judges had made their decision, and Ken had to walk up to receive the grand prize. Daisuke had clapped with everyone else, and then waited around until the cleanup started, and all the people that had come to look began to leave. Then he changed again, finding a corner at the end of one hallway that afforded him a fair amount of privacy. Then he stood outside the school, scratching at his pantyhose through his skirt, and wishing that the wig didn't itch so much. 

It was almost seven-thirty before the genius emerged, the last in a line of students to leave. He was wearing at thin coat over his uniform, and his left hand held the award. "Hey, stranger." Daisuke waited as the genius paused, and he could see the resignation settle into his shoulders as he turned to him. 

"Hello." The genius swiveled his head, and regarded him with dark eyes. "Since you seemed determined to hang around, may I know your name?"

His voice wasn't exactly friendly, but the underlying amusement sent a shiver down Daisuke's back. "You can call me Kate." The redhead winced when his voice came out breathy, and he cursed himself for falling prey to those eyes that stared at him in unwelcoming invitation. Whether the genius wanted him around or not, he was going to get company.

"I'm Ken." He held out his hand, and Daisuke placed his in it. Instead of shaking hands, though, Ken drew one tan hand to his lips, and kissed the back of it. "Pleased to meet you, Kate. May I walk you home?"

Daisuke smiled. The genius was still trying to get rid of her-him, but going about it in a much nicer way. "You may walk me to the corner of Fourth and Main."

"And what is at the corner of Fourth and Main?" He smiled, laying her hand on his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. Daisuke curled his finger around the light jacket, and grinned wider, the silver bracelet about his wrist glinting in the light.

"There is nothing at the corner of Fourth and Main, but I don't know how to get there, and I don't know my way home from any other place."

Ken looked at him in surprise. "Where do you live?"

"Odaiba." The genius paused, and looked at him in stunned disbelief. 

"If you live all the way out there, then what in the world are you doing out here?"

"I came to see you?" Daisuke spoke softly, his voice choking at the look of intensity on Ken's face. "Yesterday, I felt something when I met you-"

"Yes, my ribs breaking from smashing me into a wall. Listen, Kate, I'll be honest. I like you, and you're a sweet girl, but there is nothing between us, and there never will be."  Daisuke swallowed, and drew back. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable with your finding me, and coming here tonight. I am honored and flattered, but it can't happen again."

"Okay." He nodded, and started walking again, drawing the bottom of the wig over his shoulder so that he could warm his hands in the synthetic fabric. Ken took it as a sign of dejection, and followed. 

"I'll walk you to the corner, though." 

"That's okay." His voice caught, and he cursed himself for it. If Ken didn't like Kate, there was still a chance that he'd like Daisuke. He'd have to wait.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Kate? Kate. Listen to me." Daisuke stopped, and met his gaze squarely. 

"There's nothing left to say. I appreciate you're being so nice." He touched his cheek, unable to resist the pale skin. Ken inhaled sharply, and his eyes widened, the pupils dilating.  "You won't ever see Kate again." He leaned up, and kissed him gently on the lips. If the genius had intended to pull back, instinct stopped him, and he grabbed the redhead, and drew him into his arms. Their mouths fused quickly, and they both felt the passion that burned through them. 

Daisuke pulled back, and stepped away, holding his hands up to ward off the other teen. 

"Goodbye, Ken." He disappeared into the background, leaving Ken standing in the circle of light from a lamppost. The genius watched as 'Kate' faded away, touching his lips in awe.

________________

Ken walked slowly into the heart of the park, trying to keep 'worst-possible' scenarios out of his head. At worst, they wouldn't like him. More realistically, they'd just accept him as part of the group for the day, and deal with him. At best, they'd instantly dub him a member of their group.

He liked the last scenario. He'd grown close to Koushiro, and had enjoyed his anecdotes about his friends. Mimi and Miyako, who made salesclerks at the mall run in panic, and Sora and Hikari who both shared the instinct to nurture and help their friends. Mimi had pink hair, Miyako purple, Sora was a redhead, with a brown hue, and Hikari was brunette.

Then there was Jyou, the tall blue-haired man, with glasses, who would be serious. Iori was the little brunette that towered over Koushiro, had green eyes, and liked to slip in little pointed wisecracks. Tai and Matt would be fighting, one brunette, one blonde, respectively. Takeru was Matt's little brother, also with blonde hair, but with a hat. Then there was some redhead named Daisuke, who Koushiro thought that he would like. He played soccer, and had the attention span of a three year old. 

"You made it." Koushiro greeted him as he neared the picnic tables they had filled with food and bodies. They were leaning against it, sitting on the seats, and on the tabletops themselves. Some of them turned to wave at him, and most of the others finished up their conversations. He looked to his left, into a pair of brown eyes at the edge of the farthest table. "We were just about ready to eat."

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting." He spoke quietly, waiting to see how they'd react to his presence. Closest to them, sitting on the table, a brunette waved at him. He had been talking to a tall blonde, but paused as Ken walked into hearing distance.

"Hi. You must be Ken. I'm Tai." He held out his hand, and Ken shook hit politely, smiling guardedly. The brunette pointed his thumb at the blonde, and grinned. "The walking scarecrow is Matt. Despite the skinny, gaunt look, he doesn't bite."

"Shove it, Tai." The blonde held out his hand. "Welcome to our madness."

"Thank you for allowing me to come." He accepted his hand, and kept his gaze purposely focused on the people in front of him.

Next came a pink-haired young woman, and a red-haired female. "I'm Sora. This is Mimi." They both shook his hand, and were replaced with a brown-haired girl and the violet-haired Miyako.

"Hikari. Tai's sister."

"Miyako. Available."

"Shove it, Miya." Brown eyes grinned at him, matching the look of welcome on a tan face. "Hello. Bet you can't guess who I am?"

"Daisuke." He spoke his name, careful to keep the quiver of excitement from his voice as a warm hand closed over his. Ken swallowed hard, struggling to keep his initial reaction at bay. The blood was coursing through his veins at an amazing speed, and he could hear his heart start a rampant beat in his head.

He let go of Ken's hand, and then shoved forward a blonde. "This is Takeru. You can forget him. And this is Iori."

The blonde and brunette greeted him, the green-eyed boy eyeing him wearily.  He smiled after a moment, as if satisfied with what he saw. Koushiro finished the last of the introductions, pushing Daisuke out of the way with a playful grin.

"And this is Jyou." The blue-haired man that looked back at him with a smile. 

"Hello, Ken. I've heard a lot about you." Ken could say the same, but he didn't. Koushiro liked to speak about his boyfriend, and it seemed to be an endless topic at times.

"Thank you."

"Good, intros are done. Let's eat." Daisuke grinned at him, winked, and then walked to a blue plastic tote at the end of the table. 

"Root beer." Takeru called, sitting down at the table. They all seemed to have assigned seats, and sat down without too much fuss. He sat awkwardly at the end, watching as they all called out drink orders. Daisuke passed it to the nearest person, and it was passed down the line until it got to its owner.

"Diet cola." Matt sat down across from Ken, Tai on his right. The cola made it all the way to the brunette, and stopped. Blue eyes turned toward him. "My pop."

"It's soda."

"It's a cola, now hand it over." The blonde looked dangerous, and Ken didn't know how Tai could gather up the nerve to open the can and gulp half its contents before handing it over. "Thank you."

Ken ignored the empty spot next to him, until a bottle of water was placed in front of him. Daisuke sat next to him, and smiled. "Water okay?"

"It's fine. Thank you." He turned away quickly, and opened his water, taking a drink from it to wet his throat. It had gone dry and tight with the shock of finding himself pressed up against the redhead. It was either sit close, or fall off the end of the bench.

"Good. Water's the best thing for you, anyway." Food was passed around at random, with everyone filling his or her plates with this and that. Ken filled half of his plate. Tai leaned across, and put a large scoop of potato salad on his plate, and grinned.

"You better eat. We wouldn't want you to look as sickly as Matt." The blonde rolled his eyes, but didn't seem to mind. Ken watched as Tai filled Matt's plate. "Eat up."

"Fine, but when I eat too much, I'm throwing up on you."

"Don't worry. We'll work off all of that extra weight." Tai smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. The amusement on Matt's face dimmed slightly at he looked down at all the food on his plate. The brunette leaned over, and whispered in his ear. With a sigh, he started eating, taking small bites and chewing slowly.

Daisuke leaned toward him, gaining his attention by placing his hand on Ken's arm. "Matt was bulimic. Tai's been with him constantly for about two months. They share the same room, go to the bathroom together, and everything."

Ken nodded, watching as the two across from him ate their food. It really wasn't any of his business, and he felt a little uncomfortable about the information being shared with him. Matt looked up, and smiled slightly, unembarrassed at being caught eating. "Daisuke spreading secrets over there?"

"Of course. Doesn't he always?" Miyako, on the other side of Daisuke, elbowed him. 

Takeru, next to his brother, grinned. "Not when they're his."

"Shut up, TZ!" The redhead glared at him dangerously.

"Just eat your food, guys." Sora gave a stern look to their end of the table, resumed eating.

"Yes, mother." Tai grinned, then took a drink of Matt's soda. The blonde seemed to ignore it, but put it on the other side of his plate after he'd taken a drink. Daisuke snickered and Ken smiled.

After they were finished eating, and the food taken care of, they moved to the open grass, and Tai kicked a soccer ball onto the makeshift field. "Teams?"

"You and Dai are captains." Mimi appointed them, stepping to Tai's side. 

"Fine." The brunette thought for a moment. "Mimi, Sora, Ken, Koushiro, and Jyou. Matt, and Koushiro goalies."

"What? Don't want me on your team because you don't think I can guard the net?" Blue eyes looked playfully at Tai.

"It's not that. I just want to see your face when I shoot the ball past you."

"Dream on, Yagami." 

"Only with you, baby." Tai winked, and then stepped onto the field, taking control of the ball with even kicks. Daisuke was soon hot on his heels, and Ken realized that the game had already started. He jogged to catch up to them, smiling when Daisuke took the ball, and started back the other way.

All in all, it was a fun game. They were tied, and about ready to call it quits when Daisuke missed the ball and slid, falling down. Ken, right behind him, tripped over the ball and landed on top of him. They were both breathless, gazing at each other in stunned silence. Ken moved his left hand, and realized that Daisuke's wrist was trapped beneath it. He pushed up a little, his mouth open to apologize, when his gaze was drawn by the silver glint on the redhead's arm.

The words died in his throat as he recognized the silver, chain link bracelet. Brown eyes followed his gaze, then slipped shut as Daisuke let his head fall back to the ground. Ken was frozen to the spot, memories of the week before running rampant through his brain.

The attitude, the walk, the body, and even the husky voice. It had taken an inanimate object to make him see it. "I'm sorry." The words were obviously forced, the misery behind them palpable. Ken studied him.

"You knew who I was, didn't you?"

Brown eyes opened, and regarded him painfully. "We've played soccer before."

Ken looked down at his neck, watching as the pulse jumped. He couldn't look into his eyes. "You kissed me."

There was no response, and he looked up to see a tear slide away from his eye. The wrist under his hand jerked, and he realized that the redhead didn't want him to see it. Without thinking, he closed the small distance between them, and kissed the tear as it paused on his cheek.

Daisuke sighed shakily and trembled, forcing his hands to stay at his side. He didn't dare open his eyes; fear that he was imagining the lips pressed against his face, the mouth that was slowly making a trail to his lips. Something hard hit his legs, and he lifted his head, glaring at the soccer ball that was rolling back towards Tai. The brunette grinned. "We were playing a game."

Ken rolled off of him, getting quickly to his feet, his face red. Daisuke stood up more slowly, watching as the dark-haired teen spoke to Koushiro, and then started to leave.

"Go after him." Takeru gave Daisuke a disgusted look. "Just go. He kissed you, man. That has to mean something."

Daisuke turned around, and ran to catch up with the the fleeing boy. "Ken!"  The genius paused, and Daisuke saw his fist clench. He stopped behind him, biting his lip and rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess with your picnic." Ken's voice was low, and his shoulders were shaking. Daisuke ignored his apology.

"About last week." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Kind of. It was a stupid dare, to dress up like a girl, and hang out at the museum. The statue was an accident, and so was meeting you. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone who I was, and I was supposed to convince him or her that I wasn't me."

"You succeeded."

"I was hoping that you wouldn't find out." He sighed, expelling his breath.  " I guess I should start at the beginning. I'm gay. I have the hots for you, and I lust after your body, but I also like you. A lot. I kissed you last week because that's what I, as me, would have done if you'd been half so sweet to me."

There was a long pause, and then the blue-haired teen turned around. "After years of accepting who I am, and being proud of it, you made me question everything I believed in. You had no right to do this. No right to pretend to be a girl, and attract my attention."

Daisuke closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Ken wasn't done. "I figured out my sexual orientation when I was thirteen, and I was fine with that. Happy, even. Then I met this great girl, and I realized that she was exactly what I wanted, just not in the form I had thought I wanted it."

The redhead looked at him for a minute, trying to decipher his words. He shook his head, giving it up as a lost cause. "If you don't hate me, and you aren't too mad, maybe we could try again? I realize that you like girls and all, but it has to mean something that you were attracted to me yesterday. It doesn't have to go beyond friendship. Just give me a chance."

Blue-violet eyes met his, and he waited, watching as the blush on his face faded. They stood that way, watching each other for several moments before Ken rushed forward suddenly, and pulled the redhead to his knees. A black and white blur went whizzing over their heads, and they both glared at the grinning blonde behind them. Takeru simply smiled. "My aim's a little off."

"Jerk." Daisuke turned back, realizing belatedly that Ken's hands were still gripping his arms tightly, and they were inches apart. "Thank you." 

Ken's hand traced his face gently, and he leaned into the tender caress, closing his eyes as he sighed in pleasure. "Why did you kiss me?" 

"Why did you kiss me today?" The redhead countered, eyes still closed.

"Because you looked so sad and hurt. I didn't mean to make you cry."

Brown eyes blinked open and then peered at him. "I was afraid that you'd hate me, and you wouldn't want anything to do with me. This is how I am, you know. A guy, and all that. I'm still waiting for you to hit me, or yell at me. You have every right to, you know. Fooling you the way that I did was just wrong."

"You said that you didn't have much of a choice. It was all for a bet, right?"

He nodded, looking at the pale neck of the teen in front of him. "It doesn't make it right, though. What would he have done, made me wear the dress longer? I could have told you." He looked back up. "But I liked being with you. I enjoyed your company, and I didn't want you to walk away and leave when you found out, so I let you leave, without telling you. I knew that I'd meet you here, today, because I saw you talking to Koushiro, and I remembered him talking about you. I hoped that I would have a chance to make you like the real me as much as you'd liked the girl me, maybe more."

"Are you two made up, yet?" Tai had his arms crossed, and was glaring at them both. "I've got a game to win today, but it's a little hard without all the players." Matt touched his arm, and then hit him on the back of the head. Hard. "Never mind!"

Daisuke grinned sadly, his gaze dropping. He pulled back slightly, and got to his feet. He held out a hand to Ken, and helped him to his feet. "So, can we start again?"

"Are you going to run into me this time?" 

"Depends. Can I kiss you again?" Daisuke grinned, but rubbed at the back of his neck. The gesture spoke of his uncertainty.

"No." Ken rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on the sides of his legs. Before he could rethink his actions, or talk himself out of doing it, he leaned forward, and kissed the redhead standing in front of him. He didn't touch him. The only part of them touching was their lips, but it was enough to elicit a small moan from Daisuke. The group started laughing, and they broke apart, blushing.

It wasn't their kiss that had gained all the attention, however. Matt was sitting on Tai's back, pinning him to the ground with the soccer ball in his hands. "You throw this…" He bounced it off Tai's head. "At another person," Bounce. "And you will be," Bounce, "Eating grass," Bounce "For a week." Bounce.


End file.
